The coat of arms of the Caldonazzo Fire Brigade has been restored by the Gentile Polo Art Studio.
(In the photo: coat of arms of the Caldonazzo Fire Brigade after the restoration by the master decorator Gentile Polo.)
After celebrating 135 years since the founding of the Corps last fall, the Caldonazzo Fire Brigade coat of arms showed all the signs of deterioration due to time and weather.
The restoration was entrusted to the master decorator Gentile Polo, who after careful analysis of the metal artifact proceeded with the subsequent cleaning phases, application of the anti-rust on the peeling metal parts, tracing of the writings and the design and restoration of the original colors.
“The oldest attestation of the toponym of Caldonazzo is kept in the Archives of the episcopal principality, Latin section, capsa 37, n. 2 and is a dotal instrument dated 1183 April 12, in which it appears as a witness: “Enricus de Caldonacio”. For the first attestation of the existence of the community, reference is made to the document preserved in the archive dated 1461 March 6, relating to the sale of the fief of Caldonazzo by Archduke Sigismund of Austria to Giacomo Trapp. ”
(in “Community of Caldonazzo 1461 March 6-1810 August 31 – History”, (edited by) ARCoop Cooperative “Municipality of Caldonazzo. Inventory of the historical archive 1461-1961 and the attached archives 1857-1994.”, Autonomous Province of Trento. Superintendence for Book and Archival Heritage (2003), p.17)
To keep an eye on any fires, the Saltaro was originally elected (from the Latin saltus = forest, pasture, farm) which generally carried out the duties of a municipal messenger and forest ranger.
Since 1472 the Consular Magistrate has provided tools to fight fires to neighborhood chiefs, since 1563 it has extended the obligation to masons, stonemasons and pruners and establishes the role of preventive night guard.
Since 1600 a tax has been imposed for the purchase of fire-fighting equipment, the obligation to intervene is imposed on at least one person from each family as a water carrier and the figure of Overlying of the Fire is created, aided by the Jurors, both figures appointed by the City Council.
With the “General Regulations for fires to be observed in the capital city of Innsbruck and in the other cities and villages of Tyrol” of 1787, the Municipalities of today’s Trentino establish the figures of Firefighters and Civic Fire Fighters and from 1862, for example of the city of Rovereto, the regulations of the Corps of Civic Firefighters are transcribed for the organization of the Fire Brigade Corps throughout Trentino.
Here is the foundation in 1884 (date shown on the coat of arms) of the historical body of the Fire Brigade of Caldonazzo.
In 1920 with the advent of Fascism all the fire-fighting bodies organized under the Austro-Hungarian Empire were dissolved and reorganized unifying various districts for which Caldonazzo was unified with Centa and Calceranica, while in 1946 the “85th Command of the Fire Brigade of Trento” also included Selva, Barco, Novaledo and Tenna.
Only in 1954 was the “85th Command of the Fire Brigade of Trento” dissolved with the restoration of the local bodies transformed into today’s Municipal Volunteer Fire Brigade.
Given the history that also involves the Caldonazzo Fire Department, it was an honor for the Gentile Polo Art Studio (Villotta Str. 7/A, Rovere della Luna – Tn, Italy), an expert in the sector, to carry out the restoration of the coat of arms of the Fire Brigade returned to its original splendor.
(Lucia Martorelli – Gentile Polo Art Studio)
http://www.studio-martorelli.net/polo-gentile/